For example, an electrical connector connecting a female connector and a male connector in a freely engageable and detachable manner is used for an electrical connection of a vehicle, an electronic equipment, and so on. When the electrical connector is connected and disconnected, a male tab at the male connector side inserted into the female connector and a contact piece in a spring state which is electrically connected to the male tab at the female connector side slide with each other, and wear debris are generated.
In general, Sn plating is performed for the male tab at the male connector side and the contact piece at the female connector side, and therefore, Sn wear debris are generated by the sliding between the contact piece at the female connector side and the male tab at the male connector side. Electrical resistance of the Sn wear debris becomes high when it is oxidized, and therefore, there is a worry in which contact resistance of the electrical connector becomes high by the wear debris.
In Patent Document 1, a technology in which a thin Ag—Sn alloy layer is further formed on the Sn plating to thereby improve minute slide wear resistance is disclosed. Besides, in Patent Document 2, a technology in which a polygonal projection is provided at the contact piece at the female connector side to thereby remove the wear debris generated at the sliding time to suppress resistance increase at a contact surface is disclosed. In Patent Document 3, a technology in which plural grooves are provided at a contact part to enable a multiple contact to secure a stable contact is disclosed. In Patent Document 4, a technology in which a slide distance is suppressed to be a distance smaller than a slide trace to thereby secure a gas-tight surface which is not exposed to atmosphere is disclosed. Further, in Patent Documents 5, 6, a technology in which a contact part is made difficult to move by a structure of a terminal to thereby prevent the sliding is disclosed.